Andreas Coppenrath
While others are still warm and cosy in their beds, Andreas Coppenrath is already up and about. Every morning at 5:45 am, he enters the produc-tion building of Coppenrath Feingebäck in Groß Hesepe. “First thing in the morning, I help my staff get the production process ready while the machines are starting up,” says the company managing director. He takes time to share with the others and to make sure everything is prepared.
He has started his day like this for 40 years – and it’s much more than just routine for the 62-year-old. It is his way of getting to know and understand the people behind the machines, staying on eye-level with them. “A company of this size still allows you to keep an overview, to know every department, and to know what happens where,” he explains. About 400 people work for the family company – and the managing director knows almost all of them. He knows who is looking after their sick mother at home, who has just become a father, or what somebody else is worrying about.
He sees his morning rounds through the buildings as a sign of respect: every kind of work is important; no-one is above the others. “My father always said if you’re willing to use a dustpan and brush at any time, you’ll score with the people working with you.” The managing director continues doing just that, right up to the present day. He has never put the dustpan and brush down.
Thinking outside the box
Returning to the family company was not always a foregone conclusion. Andreas Coppenrath felt the need to think outside the box. “I didn’t want to step into the shoes of my ancestors without having seen something else first,” he says. His appren-ticeship as a confectioner initially entailed working in various international companies, before obtaining his master crafts-man’s certificate, followed by business administration quali-fications.
Internships in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England and the Netherlands helped him to see the family company from the outside and develop new ideas. He was shaped particularly by the time he spent in the USA, where he worked in many diff-erent departments. He came back not only with new ideas but with a clear vision. “I have learnt that it is possible for tradition and innovation to go hand in hand.”
The entrepreneur is the sixth generation of the family to be running the business according to the motto “a tradition of responsibility.” These words are deeply rooted in what he thinks and what he does. “My ancestors not only built up a company, they also created values that still prevail today,” he says. For him, responsibility means preserving this heritage and putting the focus on people, while also having the coura-ge to break new ground. “We must honour the old ways of doing things while daring to innovate at the same time, to make sure that we continue evolving.”
Putting people in the focus
Andreas Coppenrath is aware that he is doing more than just continuing a business heritage. He also bears responsibility towards the people who work for the company, and towards the community in which he is rooted.
“Our employees are the heart of Coppenrath Feingebäck. We couldn’t be successful without them,” he says. This also shapes his style of leadership – it is a matter of course for him to show respect and dignity, and to be receptive to the concerns of every single individual.
This also includes having an open door for everyone who has a problem. “Everyone knows that they can come to me if things aren’t going well, if there are problems in the family or if they have worries about money,” he says. He then tries to help or organise assistance. This solicitude is also reflected in the company’s social commitment. “We support local associations, schools and social facilities that take care of people who are essentially dependent on help,” says Coppenrath. The company also regularly sends baked goods to the areas of conflict in Ukraine.
Educational projects for children and youngsters are particularly dear to the managing director’s heart. “Education is the key to a better future – and we want to make our contribution.” The fact that the company received the Emsland business award for social commitment in 2015 is for him an incentive as well as an honour. “It is a sign of recognition for the whole team that does great things every day,” he says. But it is not his intention to win awards. “Our aim is to continue the company along the lines of our ancestors and to live our values.”
Innovation and sustainability
This keen sense for the balance between tradition and innovation shapes Coppenrath Feingebäck. “Our traditional values keep us grounded and provide orientation, but we mustn’t stand still,” he says. Under his leadership, the company has evolved into a modern, international business.
Innovation, emphasises Andreas Coppenrath, is not an end in itself. “It’s a case of constantly improving our products and processes, without losing our identity on the way.” Sustainability for him is not a trend, but an obligation that arises from the long tradition of his company. “We are responsible not just for our employees and customers, but also for the environment.” The company’s innovative capacity is revealed particularly in its product development. New recipes, new markets – always with the aim of combining sustainability and modernity. “This is what defines us, and what our customers appreciate.”
Transition to the seventh generation
Andreas Coppenrath is already thinking of the future – and of the seventh generation, which is already on the starting blocks. His daughter Hanna re-cently joined the company and is ready to take on responsibility. “She will also learn the business from the grass roots up, just like I did. I’ve always told her, if you want to take over the business, you need to get familiar with all the processes – and learn to bake,” he says with a grin.
After completing an apprenticeship, his daughter Hanna studied business management in Cologne and then worked for baking companies, chocolate manufacturers and confectioners in Germany and abroad. She joined the company in August 2024, working initially in sales, where she meets the cus-tomers and gets to know the company from scratch. The handover is well prepared, and Andreas Coppenrath is happy with the way things are going. “If none of my children had wanted to join the company, it would have been transformed into a foundation,” he says. But things have turned out differently – and in two years from now, his daughter will assume responsibility at the age of 27. “It’s already clear that she gets on well with everyone here in the firm, and puts her heart and soul into her tasks,” he says.
Rooted in the region
The Emsland is not just home to many family companies such as Coppenrath Feingebäck, but also part of his company’s identity. “We have deep roots in the region,” says Andreas Coppenrath. Despite being successful on an international scale, the company will remain true to its home. “We know the people here; we know what makes them tick.” The company’s social commitment is also an expression of its regional roots. “We take responsibility – not only for our company, but also for the community where we live and work,” says the 62-year-old.
And what will the future bring? “We have great plans,” says Andreas Coppenrath. He is confident that his daughter will continue to run the company in line with the family tradition. “The future belongs to those who learn from the past and are passionate about the future.” That describes exactly his own attitude at 5:45 am every morning when he’s there to help get production going.
Coppenrath Feingebäck GmbH
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